


Team EBNE: Northlands

by TyForestWrites3



Series: Team SHDW [8]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Ebonvale is expanded upon more, Ebonvale story, Elizabeth is pure sunshine, F/M, Introduction to major characters, Violence isn’t shown, but the aftermath is, romantic implications, scary implications at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:15:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23502199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TyForestWrites3/pseuds/TyForestWrites3
Summary: Originally made by H20Flame on Wattpad.Nathan Bourbon, Brittany Lilith, and Elizabeth Malacraft go to Ebonvale and stumble across a unique find. Team EBNE is established.
Relationships: Original Female Character(s) & Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Team SHDW [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690849





	Team EBNE: Northlands

**Author's Note:**

> The introduction to the second most important team in the series: Team EBNE (Ebony). They’re gonna get a lot of attention, and all of their stories are written by H20Flame.

Nathan Bourbon held up his new spear with pride. Though not particularly long, the shaft was headed by a clean, razor edged spear head. It was crafted with special materials that absorbs light particles in similar fashion to a solar panel. Much of the blade was crafted with obsidian as a core base. Hammered in a forge enhanced by fire dust, the weapon was masterfully crafted. The shaft was constructed with gold mixed into the steel to better augment the semblance of Nathan, it's sole wielder.

"I can't thank you enough for this," he exclaimed excitedly.

Elizabeth Malacraft, the creator of the spear construct, breathed a sigh of relief. Covered in the ash of a strong forge, she smiled beside herself. She was an expert at craftsmanship, hence the reason why Nathan recruited her, but it wasn't often she could use her hands on a forge. It wasn't just any run of the mill forge either. She used a Dust empowered Mantle forge, a powerful superheated masterpiece that could work with all known metals.

Mantle forges were falling off the map, however, as more and more Atlesian factories dominate the market. People find robotics and mass-produced steel more appealing than hand crafted and mined materials. Much of this can be chalked up to Atlas' superior technology and industry. As it were, the rarity of Mantle forges happens to be the reason why Nathan, Brittany, and Elizabeth traveled to Ebonvale, a far northern Mantle settlement that was built to mine the black Dust that cloaks the inner workings of the mountains. Ebonvale was originally intended to be another Dust mine, but as the miners dived deeper and deeper into the mountains, they discovered rare ores and minerals, hidden caverns with rare crystals, and, perhaps most shocking of all, large streams of obsidian, an ore found only in volcanic rock. The mining camp boomed into a prosperous town. Many began to talk about possibly making it the capital. It was a hub for trade and entertainment.

"I hope it's up to your standards. It wasn't easy blending hardened steel and obsidian, but my Semblance helped with that," Elizabeth explained.

Nathan couldn't help but crack a grin. He found his new recruit as a mere maid to an abusive man. When he first laid eyes on her, she was well dressed in a fine black dress hugged firmly by a feminine white apron. Her garments were a clear indication of her servant status. His intrigue in her was not for her appearance, however, it was for her brilliant mind. The spear she had crafted him would be near impossible to best. By all rights, she should be an arrogant and confident woman. Yet the Faunus maid before him, still decked out in her uniform, continued to be shy and humble.

"It is a shame that this place is abandoned though," Elizabeth frowned, "You would think Atlas would at least attempt to reclaim it."

"True," Nathan admitted, "But it went off the radar years ago. Atlas won't risk what little resources it has for what could easily be ruins."

It was true. Years ago, Mantle lost contact with Ebonvale nearly overnight. Merchants and trade caravans would venture there and never come back. Any military personnel sent to investigate ended up found dead. Heightened Grimm attacks plagued the land, and Ebonvale faded from people's minds. Economically, culturally, and militarily, the loss of Ebonvale was a blow to the prosperity of Mantle. What continued to beat at Mantle was the cause. Rumors sprouted all over in an effort to answer. A conspiracy theory or two was formed. Officially, it has been assumed that a colossal Grimm attack wiped out the settlement. The prevailing belief, however, is no less sinister.

"You know it's the Ogre," Brittany Lilith dropped in from scouting the back alleys of the streets, her scarlet hair whipping out as she jumped up onto the railing that surrounded the Mantle forge.

An annoyed expression formed itself on Nathan's face. He turned to Brittany none too pleased.

"Don't bring up that insanity. It's just a story," he scolded.

Brittany chuckled beside herself. She always loved the old fairy tale, 'The Ogre of Grimm'. For years, her father would read her the tale of how a man became a Grimm. The story was practically tailored to be adapted into a horror film. That was what she loved most about it. While Brittany mused the story's dramatics, Elizabeth could only be puzzled as to what 'The Ogre of Grimm' was.

"If you don't mind," she hesitantly asked, "What is the Ogre?"

Brittany ripped up a fierce grin. Before she could say anything, however, Nathan shot her a disapproving look.

"Come on, Nathan. I want to make a lore story like in the movies," she playfully whined.

"Well, you won't," he turned to Elizabeth to satisfy her curiosity, "He's a made up tale about a human who was turned into a Grimm. As for the fate of Ebonvale, the general theory is that hundreds of thousands of Grimm surrounded the city, thereby cutting off any escape. It's believed that during that siege, the Ogre entered the city and slaughtered everyone down to the last child. Anyone who tried to flee was torn apart by a legion of Grimm."

"Oh," Elizabeth whispered under bated breath.

Nathan's grimace did not fade, "'Oh', indeed. Whether it's true or not, Ebonvale was destroyed and left as the shallow ruin you see today. Just like with Mantle, the city was left for dead by Atlas, who couldn't be bothered to send aid."

Brittany sighed bitterly. She always hated Nathan's political rants.

"We're done here," he began barking out orders, "Elizabeth, try to find some supplies in the caverns. Brittany, we'll take down the camp. We leave in one hour."

Taken off guard, Elizabeth scurried off to find extra food. Taking into account the many routes she could go, she went in favor of traveling the ramps and stairways that lead deep into the dark depths of the mountains. If nothing else, she could recover obsidian samples for the road.

The road into the deep seemed to drop further and further as she traversed the forsaken city. Even still she continued to sprint through the caverns, ever hoping to find something of use. Elizabeth could find nothing except decaying ruins and machinery worn down by a lack of maintenance. The broken city disturbed her as a creeping feeling began to engulf her. A stench like none other emerged from the deep and was all that she could use to distract herself from the lingering sense of dread that came with the eerie silence. This sense of foreboding combined with the unknown stench ate at her endurance until her legs began to ache from running.

Every instinct Elizabeth possessed screamed at her to turn back, as the source of the stench became clear. Multiple bones and decaying corpses came into view. That in itself didn't bother her, it was their condition that did. Half the corpses were missing entire body parts. They looked torn apart. Worse, the few bodies that still had flesh on their bones had fresh bite marks, dried tear marks coating the bites. She thought to herself the possibility of Grimm inhabiting the shallow ruins. She dispelled this theory quickly, however, as Grimm wouldn't leave remains and they certainly don't weep.

Elizabeth forced herself to move past the bloody mess along the road. There was nothing she could do for them. As much as it displeased her, the same was not true in reverse. Small corridors along the road lead to living quarters dug into the rock. Within these quarters were pantries that stored the bulk of all the inhabitants food. Being dead, none of the inhabitants would stop her from looting their bodies for the keys to get in. Elizabeth crept down the winding corridors to reach these pantries. Oddly, she never found any food. Each living quarter was an identical repetition of the last she witnessed: a pile of bloodied corpses, a broken pantry security door, and no food. The most disturbing of these was how neatly organized the corpses were.

It was during her twelfth search that she noticed a presence. Something animal-like had been following her for some time. It was careful to keep hidden in the bleak shadows. It made a mistake, however, as it's heavy breath did not escape the ears of the Faunus.

'Should I confront it?' Elizabeth thought, 'Nathan and Brittany would. Though, if that breathing is anything to go on, that creature is massive. My tonfas won't be enough.'

A sinking feeling of vulnerability washed over her as a harsh grunt echoed behind her. It was close, she just knew it. Her watcher couldn't be a Grimm, if so it would have killed her long ago. No, this monster was something else entirely. Beads of sweat began to form across her face as her eyes widened. The stench of the corpses flared in her nostrils. She stood still waiting, waiting, and waiting evermore. Her canine ears flicked about as the soft rummaging of her stalker inched it's way closer.

'I-I can't die. I haven't proven myself to Nathan yet. I haven't seen the world like he promised I would. I... I... I have to do something. I have to move!'

Slowly, and with immense hesitation, Elizabeth turned to face her hunter. Upon seeing her stalker, her blood turned to water. The colossal creature standing a mere foot in front of her was draped with a thick black cloak. She could not see its face, but she could feel its eyes burrowing into her from inside the dark cowl. Perhaps the most unnerving feature was the dried blood that seemed to coat the cloak.

The creature gruffed and moaned, attempting a primitive communication for a moment. Elizabeth was too fearful to process any of it. Even as the figure stretched out a finger in her direction, she was frozen with fear. Unable to communicate with her, the creature abandoned its attempts and reached out to grab hold of her. Instinct took over and Elizabeth panicked, slipping away from its grasp and scurrying to the nearest corner in a nearby chamber. She let out a scream, unable to restrain her terror.

'I can't die. I can't die. I can't die. I can't die,' she repeated in her mind.

The creature was quick to follow her. It rushed to worm it's massive form through the chamber doorway, which was clearly meant for smaller individuals, acknowledging its apparent dominance. In its hurry to chase after Elizabeth its cloak was caught by the doorway that seemed to constrict the shape of the creature. The cloak, worn thin and ragged, ripped at the cowl, revealing the creature to be human.

Ebonvale was a city that was known for mining and trade, but it was also known for the breed of men it raised. The cold, mountainous climate made for towering people. Strong, durable, and physically massive, these humans were the pride of the Mantle military for ages. The specimen before Elizabeth was no exception.

Upon realizing that the cloak had torn, the son of Ebonvale wasted no time in descending into a primitive panic. He outright ignored the fox Faunus he had trapped while he scrapped together the tattered cloak.

Backed into a corner, Elizabeth grasped at her sanity in an attempt to calm herself. She covered her chest practically begging her heart to slow its rapid beating. As the unknown man's circumstance dawned on her, she slowly recovered, bringing her instincts under control again. She looked down trying to recover her ragged breath, which had all but burned her throat raw. Her thoughts were jumbled with the incessant gruffs and pants that were roared out nonsensically by the man.

Only a moment ago, he had driven her to a shaking mess. Now? He was naught but an amusement, reminiscent of a caged lion. She gazed at him with hesitant intrigue. How long has he been down here? Did he ever truly mean her harm? Questions upon questions piled up in her mind. After an embarrassing amount of time, Elizabeth became aware of just how long she sat watching the remorseful panic of a behemoth pathetically trying to fix the ripped cloak. She was possessed by an urge to help him. To save him. To do something.

Slowly, tenderly Elizabeth rose and stepped forward. Nothing. Just more burbling grunts. After a moment, she carefully took another step forward. Only one foot away from him, he remains oblivious to her movements. She smoothly took another step, this time going around him and nearing the cloak. She knelt down beside him and analyzed the tattered cloth. It was heavily worn, obviously, and grievously damaged. The cloak had been torn straight in two, with holes and stains covering the entirety of them. There was a small, albeit soot covered stitching near the bottom of the cloak: 'Edward E.'

'Perhaps this is Edward? Only one way to find out.'

"Um, E-Edward?" she choked out.

The broken human ceased his mad panic. He turned his head to Elizabeth with an incredulous expression. He seemed awestruck that his name, his name, had been uttered. And by a stranger no less.

Sensing that he indeed answered to that name, she continued, "I can fix this if you want. W-would you like me to?"

Fearing for her life, she awaited his answer. Inwardly she screamed at herself for staying. Why hadn't she run? He clearly was in no state to stop her. She didn't owe him anything. She didn't need to help. What was she thinking? That she could take him away from this place and have adventures with this broken man? She didn't have to save him.

Nathan didn't need to save her either.

Edward just watched her. He just sat there and watched. She spoke his name. She said his name, the one he had nearly forgotten. She offered help.

It was after a extended period of silence that he registered what she was offering. 'She could fix my cloak.' He grunted silently as affirmation. Hesitantly, he slowly handed Elizabeth the torn remains of his cloak.

Taking the pieces of cloth in her hands, she set them down on her lap. Feeling the fabric did nothing to retract her cynical thoughts on the cloak. Drenched in mud and soot, the fact that it was intact at all was a miracle. Much of the linen was hardened and driven inflexible by the dried fluids that stain its surface. The threads of the tear were ripped and shattered, clearly having succumbed to the excessive weight pulling it down. She brought the two fabrics together at the tear and covered it with her hand. She then awakened her aura and activated her Semblance, material repair.

Edward's eyes widened in awe as the strands of the cloak seemed to come to life. The individual strands roped around each other, breaking off the crusts of mud as they went. As though time was rewinding, the cuts reconnected as though nothing was inherently out of place about such a power. The grace and relaxed nature that Elizabeth exhibited thoroughly convinced Edward that he was witnessing the work of a goddess.

The last of the strands intertwining, Elizabeth let out a relieved sigh. She neatly folded the now crisp and durable cloak before handing to her companion with a wistful smile.

"All done," she confirmed as he carefully took it back, "Take good care of it, ok?"

He held the carefully folded fabric in his lap, in awe of the now pristine condition of the ebony colored cloak. His deep blue eyes began to cloud as an exhilarating wave of relief and longing washed over him. To Elizabeth's utter shock, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a mighty and solemn hug. His cold skin felt warm to the Faunus maid.

Taken aback by the sudden affection, she rested in his arms dumbfounded, 'It's been years since someone has... has held me so... compassionately.'

She pondered what the feeling was. Recalling the training she was forced to rehearse, she began to reach for the skirt of her dress before stopping herself.

'What am I doing? This... this isn't...' she grew tearful in his arms, painfully aware that she had grown expectant of malice and hunger rather than affection and gratitude.

Painfully aware of how she so lovingly revered such simple acts of kindness, she tenderly wrapped her arms around him in a small gesture of warmth. It was the least she could do.

"Elizabeth! Where are you?" a familiar voice shouted out.

It was Brittany. She and Nathan had heard the echos of her scream. From the sound of the call, Elizabeth assumed they were just outside the corridor. She called out to her comrades excitedly, but was stopped by Edward, who now held onto her protectively.

"Come on now. They're friends," she reassured him, "There's nothing to worry about."

She gently stroked his arm in an attempt to calm him. While he certainly wouldn't budge, Edward did loosen his hold on her. It was only after a moment that he released her completely. As he did so, Nathan stepped into corridor. Eyes wide in pleasant surprise, Nathan could barely contain the intrigue in the form before him: a living survivor of Ebonvale. Brittany followed in close behind and broke the much needed question.

"Oh. Oh my. So, um, sweetie, I see you've got a friend there. Can you, like, you know, tell us who this might be?" she desperately grasped at tact.

"Well," Elizabeth began, "This is Edward. He sorta found me here. But, um, he's very friendly. He's awfully lonely down here. Shouldn't we help him?"

'And there's the guilt trip,' Nathan thought to himself, 'Passing the choice to me. Figures. She clearly wants to bring him along. I'd approve on normal circumstances, as it's not everyday I'm handed an Ebonvale recruit. But we'd have to get him equipment which, given his size, would cost a fortune. Then there's the food supply. We're running a bit low and he'll likely make logistics a nightmare and we have to get back to...'

Brittany rolled her eyes, knowing all too well how Nathan is burning off a list of pros and cons in his head. Once again, she'd have to apply her woman's trump card. She crossed her arms with a daring smile on her lips.

"Agreed. We should help him," she eyed Nathan mischievously and expectantly, "Wouldn't you agree, Nathan?"

This would not be the first time she pulled out her trump card on Nathan. He had never been capable to argue with women, or at least not well. That was just how he was raised, and Brittany would abuse the hell out of it. He knew it, she knew it, and a 7' 4" hulk of a man left little room for tactless debate.

'Crap. She's doing that woman thing again,' Nathan grimaced before giving his orders, "Fine, we'll take him with us. Elizabeth, get him back to camp and craft him some gear."

Elizabeth smiled warmly before taking Edward's hand and leading him to their camp. Brittany turned to follow but stopped after noticing Nathan's blank stare. It concerned her when he seemingly blacked out in thought.

"Nathan," she called out but he did not hear, "Nathan, what's wrong?"

Snapping out of his thinking, he looked at her, the concerned expression apparent. He tore his eyes away from hers and looked to the neatly piled corpses on the other end of the corridor. Grimly, he spoke his thoughts.

"I'm glad we found him, a survivor. I'm glad Elizabeth found a friend. He'll be of immense help. It's just..." he paused, considering how to go about his next words, "On our way down here, we past eleven other corridors. This place clearly isn't maintained and no wildlife comes this far north."

His eyes glared at the broken and picked bodies, "He's seen hell. That much is obvious. But he must have been trapped here for years. Just what did he have to eat?"

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
